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Munich/Stephanskirchen, 12th May 2010. With BMW Motorrad Motorsport fresh from recording its first podium finish in the FIM Superbike World Championship, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Berthold Hauser weighs up the performance of the team and riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus.

Berthold Hauser, the race weekend at Monza was the most successful in the still short history of BMW Motorrad Motorsport in the Superbike World Championship. How would you sum up the team‘«÷s latest showing?

Berthold Hauser: ‘«£This very positive result is deserved reward for all our hard work over the past few weeks. It‘«÷s just a good feeling to finally get our first podium. We‘«÷ve all greatly enjoyed the moment. It‘«÷s even surprised us slightly that we‘«÷ve managed to get this far this quickly. However, we‘«÷re also aware that we‘«÷re not one of the top teams yet. We still need to develop the necessary consistency to finish on the podium on merit on a regular basis. We‘«÷re certainly not about to start taking it easy; instead, we‘«÷ll continue to work purposefully and rigorously to ensure we get back onto the podium as soon as possible. We‘«÷re racers and are only satisfied when we‘«÷re performing well enough to be consistently in with a shout of victory.‘«ō

What are the reasons for the team‘«÷s upward trajectory?

Berthold Hauser: ‘«£We see the last year as a year of development. We had to build up the team‘«÷s structures, and processes and workflows had to bed themselves in. We went into our first season on the grid with no experience from the circuits and still without a test crew.

The situation this year looks rather different. We‘«÷ve been able to build on proven practices and data and have got into the groove of working together; we‘«÷ve made our team structure and processes at the circuits much more professional. Our technical department is doing an outstanding job; the BMW S 1000 RR is a much better machine than a year ago in terms of chassis, engine and electronics. And the riders are really motivated in what they‘«÷re doing.‘«ō

On the subject of the riders: Troy Corser has made a convincing impression since the start of the season with a string of good results. How would you rate his performances?

Berthold Hauser: ‘«£Troy has done a great job from day one this season. He‘«÷s impressing us every weekend at the moment with the way he‘«÷s riding, and he‘«÷s very professional and single-minded in his work. I‘«÷m happy with his fitness level ‘«Ű although of course there‘«÷s always potential for improvement with every rider.‘«ō

Ruben Xaus has endured his fair share or criticism at times this season. How do you see his performances up to now?

Berthold Hauser: ‘«£Ruben had a lot of bad luck at the start of the season. We knew that it wouldn‘«÷t make sense to start putting pressure on him ‘«Ű Ruben is a consummate professional and has been his own biggest critic. After the race at Phillip Island, Davide Tardozzi, in particular, focused on building up Ruben‘«÷s confidence again. And the results have been impressive over the last two race weekends. Ruben has shown that he‘«÷s back on track, and posted his best result so far for the team at Monza. I was personally very disappointed that he was unable to finish the second race after becoming the innocent victim of an accident at the start before the first chicane.‘«ō

How has Davide Tardozzi fitted into the team?

Berthold Hauser: ‘«£Davide looks after team management and operational control for the team at the race tracks. He calls the shots in the pits ‘«Ű in terms of how the team is working, but also when it comes to tactical decisions with a direct influence on performance. His many years of experience in motor sport make him an invaluable asset for the team.

The structure of the team presented in January ensures that we are set up well for the future. Team management and team organisation are important roles within the team, and Davide is doing an outstanding job in both these areas. At the same time, this reshuffle has given Rainer B?Ůumel the chance to focus on the core areas of Overall Project Management and Engineering.‘«ō

Sophomore seasons build on lessons learned in the rookie season. The Hauser interview points to that as he points out in his interview.

‘«£We‘«÷ve been able to build on proven practices and data and have got into the groove of working together; we‘«÷ve made our team structure and processes at the circuits much more professional‘«ō

But what do they have to build with at Kyalami this year? Corser was absent last year due to a crash at Monza. Xaus and the hastily reserve rider collected data but how much and of what value to this year?

I was reminded of a common movie plot on the way to work yesterday. A time traveler unexpectedly meets his mother (or some other significant person in his life) the street before they reach the place where the meeting was expected. The mother somehow has a sense that they know the grown time traveler but are not certain. It always seemed a bit contrived yet now I have a new sense of what is being portrayed.

This occurred to me as I was driving to work yesterday; almost late as usual. I noticed a blue Roadster like mine parked a block away form my home. I had not seen it in town before. I made a mental note that I would have to track the owner down so we could chat and continued on to work. I had a growing sense of something odd and turned around. I am not certain what was going on in my mind but I had to go back to take another look at the bike.

A slushy rain began as I pulled up to the bike. It was now lying on its left side. I got out of the car and looked around. No one was to be seen so I hurriedly walked over to the bike and performed a proper pick up of the bike. As I was doing so a pickup truck with trailer rolled by then speeds up and dashed away; odd. I looked down between my legs and put the kick stand down then turned around to the bike. It was only then that I consciously realized it was my Roadster.

After a rather unsatisfactory talk with the police I took the bike home then went to retrieve my car. An odd set of circumstances had exposed the Roadster to the thieves for a period of time. I can pin point the theft of the bike to a window of 17 minutes. The bike has been recovered and is safely at home. I can not say the same for my sense of security in living in my humble home in Fly-Over-Land.

Friday, May 14

On the road so things will be hit and miss this weekend.

World Superbike

Fabrizio dominated morning practice and took the provisional pole in Friday qualifying. Ducati notches the first hit on the moving target of WSBK success this weekend. Corser holds BMW‘«÷s continued advance with a P4 ‘«Ű 0.419 seconds off the top time. Biaggi, last week‘«÷s double winner, is in P8 after the first qualifying round. A second covers P1 ‘«Ű P11. Xaus is back in P14 1.165 seconds off the pace.

Programme:
An encouraging start for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport in the sixth race weekend of the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship: While Ruben Xaus (ESP) finished today‘«÷s Qualifying Practice in 14th on the bumpy Kyalami track, Troy Corser (AUS) set the fourth fastest time of the session.

Troy Corser:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:40.637 min (12th) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:38.896 min (4th)
‘«£After having missed last year‘«÷s race, I had to get used to the track this morning as it is crucial here to know where the bumps are. We then started working on the bike‘«÷s settings. Overall, I am quite happy. There are still some small areas where I struggle a bit: I still miss some push at the hairpin at the top of the track, and I am not 100 per cent confident opening the throttle there. There are some places we have to adjust the engine braking a little, and I just can‘«÷t get one right hander in the last sector right. Overall, I am confident for tomorrow, as the bike feels very comfortable.‘«ō

Ruben Xaus:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:41.081 min (17th) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:39.642 min (14th)
‘«£We tried a lot of things today. We worked on the set-up specific to this track. The tracks we have been to previously allow for more time between direction changes. Here the lap is like a roller coaster and riding here is really physically demanding. This layout demands a different set-up. The BMW S 1000 RR is very sensitive to set-up changes. However, I am confident for tomorrow as I have full trust in my crew, and I am sure they will give me an incredible bike.‘«ō

Davide Tardozzi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager):
‘«£Today we were not too bad. After last year, I expected us to struggle a lot more. This bumpy race track does not suit our bike perfectly. I am totally happy with Troy‘«÷s performance, although we are still losing three tenths of a second in the last sector. Ruben tested a lot of different things today, and I am sure he will finish a lot higher tomorrow.‘«ō

TROY COMFORTABLE IN 4TH.

TroyCorser.com

The first day of the sixth round of this year‘«÷s Superbike World Championship took place in almost ideal conditions and Troy left the 4.246 kilometre track happy enough with his fourth place. Troy spent most of the day learning the best line round the undulating and bumpy track, but still managed to find a reasonably good bike set-up. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) posted the day‘«÷s fastest lap, with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) second and Jonathan Rea (Honda) third.

Troy - 4th, 1:38.896
Today was not so bad and I‘«÷m feeling pretty satisfied with the progress we made. I spent the morning session learning where all the bumps were and trying to find a good racing line and miss them! There are definitely more bumps here now then there was when I was here two years ago. In the afternoon we worked more on the set-up of the bike, traction control and clutch and I put in quite a lot of laps. The lap times were pretty consistent, even on an old tyre, and I felt pretty comfortable. At the end, I put on a new tyre and went half a second quicker.

You are never going to get a perfect bike set-up here, but it‘«÷s important to know the track and anticipate where the bumps are. The racing line is actually quite narrow and if you have to go wide to pass somebody that‘«÷s when you can run into a problem.
For me, the track is not clean enough and there is a also a particular problem going towards turn one. What looks like a red and white ripple strip is actually a rubber conveyor belt that has been painted red and white. And because it is not asphalt, it moves around a bit when you go across it. I went up to the FIM safety guy and spoke to him about it and about the track not being clean and he told me that he thought the track was clean enough and that he didn‘«÷t care what I thought! I wasn‘«÷t the only rider to talk to him about these two matters, but he didn‘«÷t seem to care what we thought. The least he should have done was to make another inspection (with a couple of riders), instead of just ignoring us. All we were asking was to be treated professionally - nothing more.
See ya,
Troy

A disappointing Saturday for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport in Kyalami (RSA): 38-years-old Troy Corser (AUS) will start tomorrow‘«÷s races from 12th, while Ruben Xaus (ESP) qualified 15th. Troy set a lap time of 1:38.210 min in today‘«÷s Superpole Qualifying, while Ruben‘«÷s quickest lap was 1:38.471 min.

Troy Corser:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Qualifying Practices: 1:38.896 min / Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:39.142 min / Fastest lap Superpole 2: 1:38.210 min
‘«£Today‘«÷s result is frustrating. On race tyres the bike does not feel too bad. We can be quite consistent with good lap times. As soon as we fit the qualifying tyre, we cannot benefit from the additional grip and I have trouble steering the bike. I have understeer in a lot of places, and in the slow, tight corners the front wheel is closing, especially in the second half of the circuit. I have to be very sensitive with the brakes. Tomorrow‘«÷s races will be tough. I had good starts in the last couple of races and usually I make up positions just after the start, but here we approach the first corner quickly. There are not many places where you can overtake here.‘«ō

Ruben Xaus:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Qualifying Practices: 1:39.494 min / Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:39.432 min / Fastest lap Superpole 2: 1:38.471 min
‘«£We were not too far away from Superpole 3. Although the bike has improved a lot, I struggle with a closing front wheel in nearly every corner. The rear pushes the front, and the front wheel is just sliding. The bike does not really allow me to brake properly. We somehow need to find a solution for this problem. I would like to thank my mechanics today, they have worked really hard over the course of the weekend as we have been trying out a lot of things.‘«ō

Davide Tardozzi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager):‘«£Today‘«÷s result is a shame. Both riders are really quick in the first and second split times of the track, but they are struggling in the second half of the circuit. Both Ruben and Troy complained about a closing front wheel and understeer. We will now try to fix this issue and work on tomorrow‘«÷s set-up. We still believe we can have good races.‘«ō

Monday, May 17

World Superbike

Fabrizio was back to his winning ways Sunday yet Haslam extended his championship lead. Biaggi remains in contention for the Riders Championship while BMW lost significant standings ground in its fight for fourth.

Homologation in racing is based on the concerpt that different things can be made equal on the track by how the rules are written. Homologation rules use weight of the bike as one way to equalize two three and four cylinder engine machines. The current rules have been in place for 2 ?Ę years and will be changed for Miller Motorsport Park race and beyond by decreasing the weight requirement for the twins.

A positive finish after a tough Kyalami race weekend for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport: After struggling in the first race, Troy Corser (AUS) and Ruben Xaus (ESP) were able to finish the second race seventh and 11th respectively. Troy has now scored a total of 105 points after six rounds of the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship season, nine more than during the entire 2009 campaign. Ruben has 42 points to his credit. In the manufacturers‘«÷ standings, BMW has scored a total of 108 points and lies sixth.

Race 1: Both Troy and Ruben made up places at the start: Troy finishing the first lap in tenth, while Ruben was 13th. Troy passed Jakub Smrz (CZE) on lap three, and Jonathan Rea (GBR) on lap seven. Both BMW riders lost a couple of positions again, and finished 12th and 14th respectively. Michel Fabrizio (ITA) won the race.

Race 2: Again, good first laps for both BMW riders: Troy crossed the line eight and Ruben 12th. Troy passed Leon Camier (FRA) shortly after, and tried to close the gap to the front. Ruben battled for a long time with Noriyuki Haga (JPN). In the end, Troy defended his seventh position, and Ruben only missed a top ten finish by one position.

Troy Corser:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Result Race 1: 12th, Gap to 1st: 00:25.504 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:38.854 min
Result Race 2: 7th, Gap to 1st: 00:13.740 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:38.989 min
‘«£In the first race I really had zero grip after only five laps. I had no confidence to attack any more, and I literally just rolled around the track till the end of the race. We changed the bike‘«÷s set-up a little bit between the races, and we used the Diablo B rear tyre spec instead of the A spec as we had over the entire weekend. The consistency of this tyre was much better than in the first race. I am quite happy with the changes, in the second race I was able to ride the bike. Unfortunately I lost a little of the initial grip in the middle of the corner. I was really quick in the first sectors, but could not really follow the other bikes at the top of the hill. This was a little frustrating. I tried to adjust over the course of the race and rode the bike completely differently to how I had over the whole weekend.‘«ō

Ruben Xaus:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Result Race 1: 14th, Gap to 1st: 00:27.273 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:39.624 min
Result Race 2: 11th, Gap to 1st: 00:21.101 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:39.299 min
‘«£My start today in both races was not great. I was hoping to make up some more positions early in the race and that didn‘«÷t happen. I had to work really hard to get through the field and passing is not easy here. In race two the bike was a lot better, we made some changes to the set-up, and that allowed me to run consistent lap times. I had a hard battle with Noriyuki Haga and I worked really hard to defend my position. I tried my best today. It was another step forward for me and the team and I am confident for the next race in the United States.‘«ō

Berthold Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director):
‘«£Today was a positive finish to a really tough weekend for our team. We had to deal with a track that does not really suit our bike. Nevertheless, the entire team ‘«Ű riders, engineers, mechanics and everybody involved ‘«Ű proved to have the right attitude. We had ups and downs over the course of the weekend, but the team never gave up. We came back after a disappointing first race. A big Thank You to the team. Although today was a tough day for us, there is reason to celebrate for BMW: Congratulations to BMW Motorsport for winning the prestigious 24 hours race at the N??rburgring with the BMW M3 GT2.‘«ō

Mixed Feelings for Troy in Kayalami

After the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship, Troy Kyalami circuit with mixed feelings. He struggled with grip problems in race one and finished 12th, but then had a much better second race and ended 7th. The race tyre he used in the first race appeared to be the same as one he had used in practice and qualifying, but was in fact a much older tyre and behaved differently, leaving Troy with a lack of grip. Troy used a different tyre in race two and made some small changes to the bike‘«÷s set-up. This time he was able to push much harder and came away with seventh, though it would‘«÷ve been better if he had not have been baulked at the start.

Race one was comfortably won by Michel Fabrizio (Ducati), with Carlos Checa (Ducati) second and Leon Haslam (Suzuki) five seconds away in third. Race two was an absolute thriller, starting with a six rider freight train. Less than a second separated the top four at the end, with Haslam taking the win ahead of Jonathan Rea (Honda) and Max Biaggi (Aprilia) third. Five different manufacturers filled the top five places, with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) fourth and Checa (Ducati) fifth.

Troy - Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 7th
Today was just one of those frustrating inconsistent racedays. In the first race I had about zero grip after just a few laps. After that it was a struggle just to get round the track, but I wanted to finish and pick up whatever points I could. I had virtually no feeling from the tyres and I knew I would crash if I pushed any harder, so I cruised around as best I could. The tyre I used in race one was the same as one I‘«÷d used in practice, but it just didn‘«÷t work. When we checked afterwards, we found out that it was a tyre from 2009, so it‘«÷s possible that it had been on and off tyre warmers and so maybe was not in as good condition as it should‘«÷ve been. It‘«÷s funny, but the tyre we used in practice was a 2010 tyre, and what we had for race one was a 2009 tyre!

We changed the bike a bit for race two and also tried a different (B) tyre and I noticed an improvement straightaway. The bike was still spinning, but this time I could feel what was going on and could push the bike much harder. I made a good start and saw a gap that would get me through to the top four, but at the last minute the two guys in front of me closed the gap and I had to ease off or possibly touch them.

Today the engine felt quite good and the braking was also good. I sort of think that the our grip problem is more a mechanical problem than electronic and maybe we need to work more on the chassis. Also, today the throttle response could‘«÷ve been better - more smooth - and that would‘«÷ve helped a lot. All in all, a bit of a frustrating weekend, with one bad race and one good. But, we‘«÷ve learnt a lot this weekend and now we can take all this info and work on improving the bike for the next race.
See ya,
Troy

In the last two races Michael Schumacher has demonstrated his ‘«ˇshape ‘«Űshifter abilities to opponents and fans. In his championship years he often demonstrated an ability to alternately make his car very large or very small; at times doing this within the same race. In Spain he legally made his car large and difficult to overtake holding on to position with the blessings of the stewards and to the chagrin of his competitors. This week he saw an opening made his car small and darted ahead of Alonso for position. This time to Schumacher‘«÷s chagrin the stewards did not appreciate his shape-shifting capabilities. Michael Schumacher was penalized for overtaking Alonso and given a five second penalty added to his race time after the race. This dropped him to twelfth in the final racing standings.

Wenesday, May 19

Other Racing

American Riders Selected to Defend U.S Title in 2010 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy

‘«ů 14.05.2010
‘«ů Press Release

Woodcliff Lake, NJ ‘«Ű May 13, 2010‘«™ Three American riders were selected to defend the U.S. title in the upcoming 2010 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy following arduous and exhaustive qualifying rounds in southern California. Selection for the American team riders was made during the third annual Adventure Riders Challenge (ARC) and GS Challenge held at BMW Motorrad‘«÷s west coast off-road riding facility -- RawHyde Adventures -- in Castaic, California from April 29 ‘«Ű May 2.

The three riders successfully qualifying to represent Team USA in the International GS Trophy in November in South Africa include winner Iain Glynn, of Seattle, Washington; second-place finisher Bill Dragoo, of Norman, Oklahoma; and third-place finisher Shannon Markle, of Laramie, Wyoming.

To quality for consideration, 65 riders from all over the country participated in the initial ARC which consisted of two segments. The first segment, although not scored, was intended to wear down the participants, develop team skills and test physical stamina. This was the ‘«ˇRenegade Run‘«÷ which sent three-man teams down a treacherous ravine after which they were required to hit targets with an air rifle, pistol, knives and a bow and arrow. The second segment was a much longer course filled with jumps, logs, mud holes, a curved narrow ledge, bridges, sand pits, and other obstacles to test the skills of the most seasoned off-road riders. Judges scored this second segment based on the riders‘«÷ individual performances and deducted points for hitting cones, leaving the course, falling, and touching a foot on the ground.

‘«£The course designers created a test track that almost every entrant could at least finish, but how you rode these sections was scored to find out who could do it the cleanest,‘«ō commented a top ARC finalist Tom Myers who competed on his BMW HP2 Enduro.

The ARC was open to participants on all brands of motorcycle, but to advance to the GS Challenge to decide what lucky three riders would go to South Africa, only BMW owners were eligible. To this end, the top 20 BMW finalists from the ARC now competed in two rounds of the GS Challenge, all riding identical 2010 BMW R 1200 GS motorcycles.

Final scores were determined by averaging rider performance in the two GS Challenge rounds, rewarding not just off-road skill but endurance and consistency ‘«Ű and luck. High drama ensued as Touratech-USA president Tom Myers scored highest in a nearly flawless first round, only to have his dreams of riding in South Africa go up in flames in the second round thanks to a fall and a couple of technical errors. (This led to an upset victory for Tom‘«÷s co-worker Iain Glynn, who says he‘«÷s not at all worried about keeping his job.)

Meanwhile, Glynn, Dragoo and Markle will now prepare to defend the U.S. Team championship in the 2010 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy, which this year is being held in South Africa, November 13-21. For first-place finisher Iain Glynn, it was a case of third-time luck at the ARC competition and he‘«÷s now looking forward to preparing for South Africa.

‘«£I have a long and sordid history with this event,‘«ō commented the 25-year-old customer service and technical support representative for Touratech-USA, who rode his 2005 BMW R 1200 GS to a first-place finish. ‘«£My goal was not to flip the bike upside down and ruin my weekend. The only reason I won is because I‘«÷m short. I could either ride with my feet on the pegs or jump off the motorcycle and disqualify myself!‘«ō
For Dragoo, 54, earning a spot on Team USA is a dream come true after his previous attempt at the GS Challenge in Spartanburg two years before. The accomplished rider and journalist/author placed second in the first and second rounds of the GS Trophy Challenge on his R 1200 GS, earning him a coveted place in the team.
‘«£I came into this competition totally relaxed with no real expectation of winning,‘«ō admitted Dragoo. ‘«£In fact, I was coming out of the restroom when they called my name! I was completely surprised!‘«ō

Markle, 37, confessed he is the rookie in the group and had entered his first ARC competition on the spur of the moment.

‘«£I‘«÷ve only owned my R 1200 GS Adventure since last May,‘«ō said Markle, ‘«£but I bought it from a guy who got it from Brad Hendry‘«÷s [a previous Team USA member] shop. I had an opportunity to talk to Brad about his 2008 experiences at the GS Trophy in Tunisia, never realizing that I would later qualify to follow in his footsteps.‘«ō
For RawHyde Adventures owner Jim Hyde, the 2010 Adventure Riders Challenge and BMW GS Trophy qualifiers were a great success, with a fantastic turnout and close competition all the way.

‘«£We were thrilled to be a part of the International GS Trophy selection process. This year‘«÷s event saw competitors arrive from all over the United States to try their best to make the team. Riders came from Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wyoming and Wisconsin. In fact, around 175 people attended, 65 of whom were competing and the other 110 enjoying the entertainment ‘«Ű we even had a contingent of 14 riders from Mexico City who spent a day with us enjoying the competition.‘«ō

‘«£The scores were not too close for first place in the GS trophy as the winner was nearly 50 points ahead, but second to sixth place finishers were only six points apart. The opportunity to host the trials for the GS Trophy was a real achievement for RawHyde and it was something we'll be talking about for years to come.‘«ō

The final word went to Laurence Kuykendall, Community and Communications Manager for BMW Motorrad USA, who knows that some of the toughest challenges imaginable are waiting in South Africa for the three lucky GS riders.

‘«£The competition finalists heading to South Africa will not only need strength and endurance, superior riding skills and guts, but they must also be able to navigate their route ahead, pace themselves and collaborate with teammates,‘«ō he commented. ‘«£Of course, they‘«÷ll also need a sense of humour under adversity and extreme conditions. They‘«÷re going to battle sun, sand and scorpions in addition to some of the world‘«÷s best off-road riders.‘«ō

Munich. Winning the overall ranking in style, being victorious in two categories and scoring four more top ten positions in the reader‘«÷s vote ‘«◊The best sports motorcycles 2010‘«£ of PS (Das Sport-Motorrad Magazin) BMW Motorrad continues their success story. It was crowned with winning the title ‘«£Best motorcycle brand‘«ō.

‘«◊I‘«÷m glad to hear of the overwhelming victory of our new S 1000 RR in this vote focussed on sporty motorcycles. I would like to thank the readers of PS most sincerely for their votes. This reflects the enormous enthusiasm for our products.‘«ō, said Hendrik von Kuenheim, Head of BMW Motorrad, commenting on the result of the vote.

With BMW Motorrad represented in the category ‘«£Best sport motorcycle over 700 cc‘«ō with a 4-cylinder supersports bike for the first time, the new BMW S 1000 RR won this class at the first go, thereby underscoring its superior technical conception combining highest performance with Race ABS and Dynamic Traction Control DTC.

At the same time the S 1000 RR secured the title ‘«◊Best sports motorcycle‘«£ by a wide margin. The BMW K 1300 S came undisputedly in first in the category ‘«£Best sporty all-rounder‘«ō. More top ten finishes were achieved by the BMW Motorrad models R 1200 GS Adventure, F 800 GS, K 1300 R und HP2 Sport.

In addition BMW Motorrad won the title ‘«◊Best motorcycle brand‘«£.

After the S 1000 RR being voted ‘«£Motorcycle of the Year 2010″ in the readers‘«÷ vote of the motorcycle magazine MOTORRAD with numerous victories in categories in March 2010, BMW Motorrad models were able to achieve the second outstanding success within short time by winning the PS readers‘«÷ vote.

asphaltandrubber.com: Unions put kibosh of Moto Morini Acquisition.
In a dangerous game of chicken unions, who need to agree to a final deal for it to go through, have rejected Paolo Berlusconi‘«÷s offer to save Moto Morini. Berlusconi is reported to be preparing another offer for the company. Berlusconi has been linked to MV Agusta as a possible purchaser In addition to Moto Morini.

However, Claudio Castiglioni and Federico Mioli are more likely candidates. Castiglioni was the head of MV before its acquisition by Harley-Davidson and stayed on for a time after. In 2007 he was interviewed by Motorcycle.com about the pending sale and the company to H-D. Castiglioni had previously in the decade sent the company into bankruptcy then worked with the Malaysians to purchase it clearing its debt and led a bank group that purchased it back after a year. In trouble again H-D purchased the company from Castiglioni for 109 million in a combination of cash and assumed debt. Much has been invested in retooling production lines and product development yet for 2009 MV reported a before tax loss in the range of ‘ťľ22 million. Now H-D is rumored near to a deal at a significant discount on the cash outlaid in the purchase and no recovery of the money spent on debt and retooling.

A couple of book suggestions.....

Modern Motorcycle Technology: How Every Part of Your Motorcycle Works

Nicely illustrated book covers lots of topics from manufacturing to the inner working of the various bike systems. I got a copy for myself but thought this would be a nice gift idea a few months from now.

Race Tech's Suspension Bible looks like a great reference -- I've got an order placed but it's not available for a few more weeks. You can view the book at Amazon....

At a sun-drenched Misano circuit this afternoon, BMW Motorrad Motorsport‘«÷s Troy Corser posted a stunning lap to claim the team‘«÷s first ever Superbike World Championship pole position on the S 1000 RR. Corser‘«÷s scorching lap of 1:35.001 in Superpole 3 was more than half-a-second faster than anyone else could manage at the Italian circuit.

Having been fastest in the morning‘«÷s final qualifying session, and second fastest in the afternoon free practice session, Corser needed just two laps of Superpole One to progress through to Superpole Two as the third fastest rider. Looking relaxed in-between sessions, a confident Corser was one of the first riders out on circuit for Superpole Two and completed just two more laps to finish comfortably in the top five, with the eight fastest riders going through to Superpole 3.

Team-mate Ruben Xaus had also progressed through to Superpole 2. Keen to improve his lap time and progress to Superpole 3 alongside Troy, he returned to the pits for a new tyre and headed back out on track to try and improve his time of 1:36.204 and get inside the top eight. Unfortunately, Ruben pushed a little too hard and crashed on his flying lap, so will start tomorrow‘«÷s two races from row three of the grid.

With Corser as the sole BMW representative among the remaining eight riders ‘«Ű and five manufacturers ‘«Ű represented in Superpole 3, the 38-year-old showed absolutely no signs of slowing down as he posted an amazing time of 1:35.001. This outstanding lap left the WSBK ‘«ˇyoung guns‘«÷ scratching their heads and no one could come close to this time, apart from fellow veteran Superbike rider, 39-year-old Max Biaggi, who was half-a-second slower than the delighted BMW factory rider.

Troy Corser: ‘«£First of all I would like to say thank you to the entire team, my mechanics, technicians and the guys in the workshop in Germany. We have struggled a lot with the tyres over the last couple of weeks, but today we made some very good steps forward. We made some changes to the chassis and the suspension and finally our work paid off. Honestly, I am a little surprised about my lap time. This was more or less a perfect lap. For tomorrow, I do not want to change a lot on the bike‘«÷s setup, as the bike now really works well. Maybe we will play a little bit with the electronics and the engine braking, but that‘«÷s it. Today we reached another milestone. Now I want to win a race soon.‘«ō

Ruben Xaus: ‘«£I feel good on the bike. I did my fastest lap today in qualifying on a race tyre so I know we have a strong race pace. Unfortunately I struggled to make the qualifying tyre work for me. Troy has found a great feeling with the qualifying tyre and posted an unbelievable time today. I just need to work on my riding style so it suits the characteristics of the qualifying tyre. Based on my times this weekend I am confident for tomorrow. I have left myself a lot of work to do from the third row but I know anything can happen in racing, so I am still optimistic for some good results. Let‘«÷s see what happens tomorrow.‘«ō

Davide Tardozzi ‘«Ű Team Manager ‘«Ű BMW Motorrad Motorsport: ‘«£I am really happy! For sure the bike is improving all the time but Troy did an unbelievable job today. We have made some improvements with the S 1000 RR and Troy is riding so well. Tomorrow will not be easy because the times on race tyres have been really close, but I am confident in the package we have. Sadly Ruben was unlucky today, he was riding well and pushing hard but he crashed on his flying lap which prevented him from posting a quick time. I still believe that he will be able to finish in the top 8 tomorrow.‘«ō

Programme:
After an extensive testing programme in the last weeks, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport had a good start to what is expected to become one of the hottest race weekends of the 2010 Superbike World Championship season. Troy Corser (AUS) finished second in Friday‘«÷s Qualifying Practice in Misano, less than a tenth of a second off Cal Crutchlow‘«÷s time. Ruben Xaus (ESP) qualified 15th.

Troy Corser:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:37.362 min (1st) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:36.344 min (2nd)
‘«£The track is completely different to how it was last week. The circuit management resurfaced Quercia corner. Quercia was quite bumpy before, now the corner has not a lot of grip, but is still bumpy. Nevertheless, today was pretty good. We have the bike pretty similar to how we had it during the test. I did not want to change too much on the bike when the track is completely different. Tomorrow we will try some solutions to get more grip. I am a little disappointed I crashed today. We tested a new front brake master cylinder and lever. I grabbed the brake and simply overbraked the bike. The new brake feels better, but I simply need more time.‘«ō

Ruben Xaus:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:38.214 min (10th) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:37.461 min (15th)
‘«£We tested here in Misano last week. Unfortunately we had to finish our test early due to some mechanical problems. Therefore I am simply missing some time. We went into today‘«÷s sessions with a new engine spec, and the bike feels completely different again. I am struggling with the bike‘«÷s gearbox settings. So far, we have used a gearbox with a neutral between first and second gear, and I sometimes miss the first gear. We will now change the gearbox. Tomorrow, I want to go out on the track and have fun riding the bike. I am always quick when I enjoy riding.‘«ō

Davide Tardozzi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager):
‘«£Today was not too bad ‘«Ű especially for Troy. He was first in today‘«÷s Free Practice session, and finished the first Qualifying Practice second, only six hundredths of a second off Cal. This is a really good result. I am happy we now understand why Ruben is having difficulties. He is not happy with the gearbox. I am confident we can sort that out for tomorrow.‘«ō

Interview with Davide Tardozzi Tuesday 6/22

BMW Motorrad Motorsport - WSBK - Interview Davide Tardozzi
‘«ů 22.06.2010
‘«ů Press Release
Munich/Stephanskirchen, 22 June 2010. The race weekend in Salt Lake City, USA, marked the half-way point in the FIM Superbike World Championship season 2010. As BMW Motorrad Motorsport prepare for the race at Misano, Italy, Team Manager Davide Tardozzi looks back on his opening six months in the job.

Davide Tardozzi, how would you sum up your first half year at BMW Motorrad Motorsport?

Davide Tardozzi: ‘«£When I look back at my time at BMW Motorrad up to now, it's clear to me that we're on the right track, and we can be proud of our results so far. We've already collected 130 points and six top-five finishes, and Troy Corser picked up the historic first podium finish for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport at Monza. However, I'm somebody who is never one hundred per cent satisfied. There is always room for improvement and that's the basis I work on. We still have a lot of work ahead of us before we are ready to challenge for the World Championship title.‘«ō

What stands between the team and the very top of the sport?

Davide Tardozzi: ‘«£Experience. I see this season as a development year. The basic elements are all in place to achieve success over the long term. We have a very able and ambitious team capable of winning races, and a good infrastructure in Munich and Stephanskirchen and at trackside. However, racing is a complex business that can‘«÷t be mastered overnight. What we‘«÷ve been missing up to now is experience in production-based motorcycle racing. I hope I can put the experience I have to good use in one way or another and help us achieve the goals we‘«÷ve set ourselves.‘«ō

What are you expecting from the team in the second half of the season?

Davide Tardozzi: ‘«£We hit our target for the season after just five race weekends with our third place at Monza, but we can‘«÷t afford to get carried away by this success. We still have a way to go before we can regularly achieve this kind of result on merit. We will continue to follow the same path, and I‘«÷m in no doubt that further success will be possible in due course.‘«ō

How does it feel working for BMW Motorrad?

Davide Tardozzi: ‘«£Let me start by saying that BMW Motorrad is a brand possessing an unbelievable aura. I‘«÷m proud to work for BMW Motorrad. After six months at BMW you realise that the company is very engineer-driven. The employees go about their work in a highly structured and process-oriented way. This is a new experience for me. I can learn something here.‘«ō

What would be a satisfactory outcome for you at the end of the season?

Davide Tardozzi: ‘«£I will never be one hundred per cent satisfied; that would mean I‘«÷m standing still. Recording that podium finish at Monza meant we‘«÷d already achieved our aim for the season. Our results up to now and the 130 World Championship points we have under our belts show that we‘«÷re heading in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go before we are right up there at the front of the field. At the end of the season we can be pleased with ourselves if we‘«÷ve taken another big step towards the leaders and put the foundations in place to further reduce the gap to the top teams in 2011.‘«ō

Monday 28 June

Close but no cigar‘«™yet.

Based on Corser‘«÷s blog the lack of a victory comes down to human error. That is a major mile marker in BMW‘«÷s World Superbike quest.

This will do nothing to quiet critics of the team and BMW‘«÷s racing efforts. The only thing that will satisfy the former is humiliating domination of the competition by BMW (or truth be told humiliation of BMW). For the latter victory or nothing and for many MOA members nothing as in BMW‘«÷s end of its racing heresy will satisfy.

World Superbike fans and fans of the Roundel effort are left wanting more but should be pleased that the S1000RR and the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team is becoming a real viable race weekend contender. Biaggi and Aprilia have been able to dominate of late. Yet the competition is coming along just fine thank you very much.

If you want the story book first race season you have to look to Ayrton Badovini and his BMW‘«÷s 1000 RR in the Superstock 1000 class. He won his fifth race out of five with 2.576 lead over his nearest rival.

The SBK class bike series is the big glamour class in the World Superbike Circus but it can reasonably argued the Superstock class has more relevance to dealers and the mere mortal riders they sell bikes to. The rarified air of SBK finds bikes with parts and setups that just make the homologation rules in very limited numbers. Racing clones are cool but few get to have one. The Superstock class run with entirely different set of racing rules and more manufacturers participating gives fans a Superbike shoot out every race weekend without the cost of the magazine. Here BMW is dominating its competition in the first year of participation.

Again, there is reason to celebrate for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport: After Saturday‘«÷s first ever pole position in the team‘«÷s young history, Troy Corser (AUS) secured the German team its second podium on Sunday, finishing race 1 in third. It was Troy‘«÷s 130th podium finish, and his 50th third place finish in his World Superbike career. Ruben Xaus (ESP) did not finish the race due to a mechanical problem. There was smoke coming from Ruben‘«÷s bike when the oil line touched the exhaust pipe and burned. In race 2, Troy was not able to hold on to his starting position. He was in the top five until the final lap when he missed a gear when downshifting before Tramonto corner. He ran off the track and lost a couple of positions. Ruben was involved in some collisions right after the start and was not able to finish the race as he was hit by another rider‘«÷s bike. The impact caused a bruise and a haematoma inside the muscle of his left calf.

Troy Corser:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Result Race 1: 3rd, Gap to 1st: 00:00.822 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:36.876 min
Result Race 2: 10th, Gap to 1st: 00:16.279 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:36.713 min
‘«£I am really happy with the way this weekend has gone. It has been our team‘«÷s best performance so far, with our first ever pole position and a podium finish in race 1. But at the same time I am also a little disappointed because I felt we had the pace to win both races today. In the first race I felt comfortable leading the race, and had it not been for a mistake towards the end of the race I think I would have finished second or even first. It was just a case of trying a little too hard. In race 2 we made some slight changes to the setup to give more grip to the rear wheel, but this meant we lost some feeling from the front tyre and this affected the handling of the bike. Unfortunately at the end of the race I hit a false neutral on the down change before Tramonto which meant I missed my brake point, forcing me into the gravel.‘«ō

Ruben Xaus:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Result Race 1: DNF
Result Race 2: DNF
‘«£This was a day to forget. It started with the technical problem we had in race 1. After the start of the second race I braked hard into the corner but was hit by another rider moving me out. I managed to stay on the bike but at the next direction change I was again hit hard by another rider crashing into my left leg. Again, I stayed on the bike but really felt a bad pain in the leg, which made my muscles react very slowly. I started missing the gears, and very soon I missed a gear in the corner, and my knee hit the tarmac heavily. I lost my knee pad, and that was it. I will now try to recover for the tests in Imola.‘«ō

Berthold Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director):
‘«£Congratulations to the entire team. Everybody has done a great job over the course of the weekend, and we were rewarded. It was a weekend with ups and downs, but the positive side outbalances the negative side: We took our first ever pole position, got another podium finish, and lap time wise we are up to speed. I feel really sorry for Ruben and his crew ‘«Ű this weekend luck was not on his side. But that‘«÷s racing, and we will not hang our heads. I am happy with everyone‘«÷s efforts over the weekend.‘«ō

A seven week long break after the last race in Monza (ITA) has not slowed down Ayrton Badovini (ITA) and his BMW S 1000 RR in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup: He won his fifth race out of five, 2.576 seconds ahead of his closest rival Maxime Berger (FRA). In the riders‘«÷ standings, Ayrton now has 125 points, and he has increased his lead on Maxime (66) to 59 points. BMW leads the manufacturers‘«÷ standings with 125 points, 32 ahead of Honda.

End of BMW press release

TroyCorser.com

After dominating Superpole, Troy started race one from pole position, led for the first sixteen laps and looked on course for his maiden win with BMW. But the smallest of errors cost him dearly and, in the end, he had to be satisfied with third place - repeating the result he had in Monza last month. Even though he wasn‘«÷t able to win today, he showed that he and the BMW are now genuine podium contenders, thanks in part to the big improvements to the bike made recently. Troy‘«÷s team marginally changed the set-up of the bike to improve rear grip, but the plan didn‘«÷t work.

Although Troy led the first six laps, he struggled to stay in front because he was having difficulty getting the bike to turn and stop in the corners. He kept going and ended 10th.

Local favourite Max Biaggi (Aprilia) won both races to increase his championship lead over Leon Haslam (Suzuki) to 37 points. In race one, he narrowly beat Carlos Checa (Ducati) with Troy third, but race two was much more comfortable. He took his second chequered flag of the day, over four seconds ahead of Haslam, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third.

Troy - Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 10th
I should have won the first race and the only reason I didn‘«÷t was because I made two small mistakes. This series is so hard that it only takes the smallest of mistakes or errors to lose a win and that‘«÷s what happened today. The bike has come on a lot recently and most of it is to do with a new set-up at the rear. It‘«÷s something that I‘«÷ve wanted to try for some time, but it‘«÷s not something that we felt we could try during a race weekend. We tried it at the recent Mugello tests and now I have bike I can ride easily without thinking about it - and that‘«÷s a great feeling. Now the bike is probably the best it has ever been at any stage and I felt comfortable leading the first race. I made a small mistake on lap seventeen when I went a bit wide at a left-hander and had to go on the grass. I couldn‘«÷t get my normal drive out of the turn as a result and Max (Biaggi) overtook me. On the next lap, I left a bit too much space going into another left-hander and Carlos (Checa) dived underneath me. From then on in, I matched them for lap times but just couldn‘«÷t pass them.

Because it now takes such a long time for the interviews in parc ferm?ģ, the podium ceremony and the interviews in the Paddock Show, I wasn‘«÷t able to have a proper debrief with my team. We spoke briefly when I got back to the parc ferm?ģ and I told the boys that I was pretty happy with the bike and if they wanted to make some small adjustments they could do so. They wanted to improve the rear grip, so changed the front forks a little, but the plan didn‘«÷t work and the bike was actually harder to stop in the corners and this is why I started going backwards. It was a shame, because otherwise I felt that another podium was on the cards. Our tyres don‘«÷t like it when the track temperature goes over 30C, but I think that‘«÷s probably the same for everybody.

Today Max and the Aprilia were a good package. They can be beaten, but our bike needs to be perfect to do it. As I said, I‘«÷m really happy with the bike now and I am enjoying leading races and challenging at the front. My goal is to try and finish third in the championship. I don‘«÷t know if that‘«÷s realistic, but that‘«÷s what I‘«÷m aiming for.